In the 2010s, the toys-to-life genre was dominating the industry, meaning players would buy a game and then spend all their money on collectable figures that could then be used. Activision had the successful Skylanders franchise, Disney had its crossover Disney Infinity, and in 2015 LEGO joined the venture with LEGO Dimensions.
LEGO Dimensions entered the genre late into its lifespan, but it brought a whole new way of doing things. LEGO Dimensions took characters from many franchises and put them into a large-scale multiverse storyline. Characters from Portal, Gremlins, Doctor Who, Wizard of Oz, The Simpsons, and even The Goonies appeared, but in 2017 Traveller's Tales made the decision to cut off support. Maybe it's time for LEGO Dimensions to make a return.
What Set LEGO Dimensions Apart
Both Disney Infinity and Skylanders had players purchase plastic figurines if they wanted to play as certain characters with unique abilities. These figures were attached to large bases and felt more like statues than toys. LEGO Dimensions had many purchasable figurines too, but the big difference was that they were actually LEGO sets. Each pack would come with building instructions and included LEGO mini-figures that could be taken off their bases.
Not only did LEGO Dimensions have players buy LEGO sets, these sets came from a multitude of franchises. Disney Infinity brought in characters from a lot of Disney franchises, but they never truly crossed over; each set of characters had their own self-contained story. LEGO Dimensions had players follow a story with characters like Gandalf, Wyldstyle, and Batman hopping between franchises to stop Lord Vortech.
Each franchise also had its own dedicated Adventure World that players could explore and complete missions. Once a player bought a character from a given franchise, that Adventure World would open up. Doctor Who let fans explore iconic places like Skaro or Trenzalore, characters from The Simpsons unlocked Springfield, and Back to the Future characters unlocked an Adventure World with every version of Hill Valley.
LEGO Dimensions had familiar LEGO gameplay with some added twists. Players would collect studs, break bricks, and build things, now using real-world elements via the base that characters got placed on. Certain puzzles would require players to move their figurines around on the base, and sometimes they'd have to relocate the characters to escape traps. It could become tedious, but it was also very innovative for the genre, and something that really made LEGO Dimensions unique.
What a LEGO Dimensions Game Could Look Like Today
The toys-to-life genre has pretty much been killed off, except for Nintendo's amiibo line and Ubisoft's recent attempt to revive the genre with Starlink: Battle for Atlas. People are seemingly not as willing to purchase a collection of plastic toys just to play their games, not to mention how inconvenient it is to have to constantly get off the couch to switch characters. However, LEGO Dimensions doesn't has to die alongside it.
LEGO Dimensions brought together numerous franchises, but the fact that it was a toys-to-life game was simply a choice made by Traveller's Tales. For example, Traveller's Tales could make a standard LEGO game that brings together many franchises in a multiverse storyline, and it could be just as good. It was not the toys-to-life portion that made the experience stand out, it was the multitude of franchises, gameplay elements, and fun story that drew players in.
With the post-credits scene in LEGO Dimensions hinting at a sequel, it would make sense to look toward a sequel. Right now Traveller's Tales is focusing on LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, but after that it should look into the next LEGO Dimensions title.